Double rotor jet switch



Nov. 3, 1959 J. w. GOOTHERTS ,9

I DOUBLE ROTOR JET swrrca Filed June 23, 1958 2 Sheets-She". 1

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Nov. 3, 1959 Filed June 23. 1958 J. GOOTHERTS DOUBLE ROTOR JET SWITCH 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent DOUBLE ROTOR JET SWITCH Jerome W. Gootherts,Redwood City, Calif., assignor to American Radiator & Standard SanitaryCorporation,

New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 23, 1958,Serial No. 743,553

6 Claims. (11. 200-32 This invention relates to and in general has forits object the provision of an all-position mercury jet switch andconstitutes an improvement .to the all-position jet switch disclosed inthe Gootherts Patent No. 2,791,650, dated May 7, 1957, All-PositionRotary Jet Switch.

Switches of this character are designed for transmitting signals from afast moving object, such as an airplane or missile, to the ground. Sincea missile can be subjected to an acceleration field equivalent to, say100 GS, any switch of the character under discussion carried by amissile must operate without any appreciable eifect from such anacceleration field. I

The switch disclosed in the Gootherts Patent No. 2,791,650 is made tooperate independently of acceleration fields by rotating its singlerotor at such a speed that the centrifugal force developed is so high ascompared with any acceleration field to which the switch may besubjected, that the latter is negligible for all practical purposes.However, the speed of the rotor of the Gootherts switch determines thenumber of times that each of the switch circuits is closedper minute,and for many purposes and reasons this is a speed too high foreflectively receiving and/or recording the transmitted impulses. 1

More specifically, one of the objects of this invention is the provisionof a rotary jet switch including a stator provided with a ring ofcontact pins; a first rotor arranged to rotate at a speed suflicient tomake negligible any acceleration field to which the switch may besubjected, and provided with an annular chamber arranged to receive abody of mercury or other suitable liquid conductor; a second concentricrotor arranged to rotate at a lower speed than said first rotor andprovided with a nozzle orifice in alignment with said'contact pins; andmeans for delivering mercury from said body, of mercury to said orifice,and whereby the speed of the second rotor determines the rate at whicheach circuit of the switch is closed.

A further object of this invention is the provision of. a switch of thecharacter above described wherein mercury from the body of mercurycarried by the first rotor is delivered to the orifice of the secondrotor communicating at one end with said orifice and having its otheropen end heading into the annular body of mercury carried by the firstrotor. 1

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a rotary jetswitch of the character above described which can be readily assembledand disassembled. v

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be setforth at length in the following descriptionwhere those-forms said drawings, one form of the invention is shown,,but-

it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form,

2,911,489 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 since the invention as set forth in theclaims may be embodied in other forms.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical mid-section of a rotary mercury jet switchembodying the objects of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the section line 2-2 of Fig. l.

The switch as illustrated in these various figures includes acylindrical base 1 provided with a lower flange 2 for attachment to, anelectric motor, and with an upper depressed flange 3 formed with anupstanding shoulder 4.

Seated on the flange 3 in interlocking engagement with the shoulder 4 isthe annular base 5 of a plastic hearing supporting member 6, the base 5being provided with an annular flange 7. Fixed to the upper end of themember 6 is a collar. 8, and secured thereto is a periph erallychanneled bearing sleeve 9. Aiding in securing the sleeve 9 to thecollar 8 is a retaining ring 11 seated inone of the peripheral channels12 of the bearing sleeve.

Formed integral with the upper end of the bearing sleeve 9 is a radiallyextending hub 13 provided on its periphery with an upstanding skirt 14.

Molded around the upper end of the collar 8" is a plastic connector plugor ring 15, the outer upper edge of the collar being upset to aid inholding the plug in place. Formed in the plug 15 is a ring of equallyspaced vertical bores 16, each merging at its lower end with aradiallyextending channel 17. Fixed within each of the vertical bores 16 is ametal connector sleeve 18. Extending into each of the radial channels 17is a terminal 19 secured at its inner end to its associated connectorsleeve 18 and provided at its outer end with an eyelet 21. The eyelets21 serve as the positive terminals of the switch and are arranged to beconnected with a suitable harness.

Formed in the upper end of the bearing supporting member 6 is a radialbore 22, and extending therethrough is an electric lead 23 electricallyconnected at its inner end with the collar 8, the lead 23 serving as thenegative terminal of the switch.

Mounted within the bearing sleeve 9 and secured thereto is an outer'ball bearing race 24 cooperating with a mating inner ball bearing race25 and intervening ball bearings 26. Mounted in the inner race 25 is ashaft 27 arranged, as will presently be more fully described, to becoupled with an electric motor mounted on thefiange 2 of the base -1.

Disposed beneath the bearing races 24 and 25 is a,

bearing spacer 28, and secured to and within the bearing sleeve 9beneath the. bearing spacer 28 is a bowed retaining ring 529. Threadedto the shaft 27 in abutment with the race 25 is a nut 31 provided at itslower end with wrench sockets 32.

As a result of this construction, the collar 8 and plug 15 can bereadily removed from the rest of the assembly by merely removing theretaining ring 11. And the bearing retaining sleeve 9, races 24 and 25,and bearing spacer 28 can be removed from the shaft by simply backingoff the nut 31 and removing the bowed retaining ring 29.

Molded on the bearing retaining sleeve 9 immediately above the plug 15is a second annular plastic ring or plug 33, and mounted therein is aring of depending metal contact prongs 34 each adapted to be snuglyreceived in one of the contact sleeves 18 so as to be placed terminals19.

;Molded in-the plug 33 and aflixed to the upper end of each of theprongs 34 is a radially extending metal pin 35 protruding well beyondthe periphery of the plug 33.

Seated on the flange 7 of the bearing supporting member 6, anddetachably secured thereto by machine screws 41 is an upstandingcylindrical steel shell or casing 42 provided withradial flanges 43 and44 at its lower and upper ends, respectively. Surrounding and straddlingthe base flange 3 and the casing flange 43 is an annular split clamp 45serving to detachably lock the base 1, member 6, and casing 42 togetherinto a rigid structure.

Seated on the casing top flange 44 is the flange 46 of a plastic(dielectric) ring or collar 47, the body of said ring being snuglyaccommodated within the upper end of the casing 42 and detachablysecured thereto by machine screws 48. Here it should be noted thatalthough the collar 47 has been illustrated and described as being madeof a dielectric material, this is immaterial to the operation of thedevice in so far as its electrical circuit is concerned. Seated on theflange 46 is a dished cover or cap 49 provided with a peripheral flange51, and surrounding the flanges 44 and 51 is a locking channel 51a.Surrounding the channel 51a is a split ring clamp 52 for detachablyholding the channel 51a in locking engagement with the flanges 44 and51.

Snugly accommodated within the plastic ring 47 is a bearing retainingsleeve 53, the sleeve 53 and the ring 47 being cemented together by twoannular rings 54 of a resin accommodated in channels 55. Locking thering 47 to the sleeve 53 is a machine screw 56 recessed within the ring47. Accommodated within the sleeve 53 is an outer ball race 57cooperatively associated with an inner ball race 58 and intervening ballbearings 59. Secured to the top of the sleeve 53 by screws 61 is a cap62 provided with an internal ring gear 63 formed in a central depressedannular hub 64. Formed on the lower face of the cap 62 is anintermediate annular channel 65.

The entire structure so far described, with the exception of the innerball races 25 and 58 and the shaft 27, is stationary and rigid and forready reference can be considered as the frame or stator of the switch.

Journaled on the shaft 27 through ball bearing assemblies 71 and 72disposed between a spacing sleeve 73 is a first rotor generallydesignated by the reference numeral 74 and including a bearing sleeve 75and an upstanding annular ring 76. Mounted on the ring 76 is an internalring gear 77 here shown as being of a diameter slightly smaller than thediameter of the internal ring gear 63. Seated over the ring 76 andsecured thereto by screws 78 is the inwardly extending annular flange ofa depending collar or skirt 79 circumscribing the stationary skirt 14with positive clearance. Here it should be noted that the peripheralface of the ring 76 also has positive clearance with the skirt 14.

circumscribing the lower end of the skirt 79, and recessed therein, is apair of identical semicircular ring sections 81 and 82, each provided atone of its ends with a boss 83 and each provided at its other end with ashoulder 84. Formed in each adjacent pair of bosses 83 and shoulders 84are aligned bores 85 and 86, respectively. Each bore 85 is stepped andthreaded over its enlarged portion, and each of the bores 86 is largeenough to clear the body of the machine screw 91. Disposed between theabutting faces of each pair of bosses 83 and shoulders 84 is a gasket87, and extending partially through each bore 85 is a nipple 88 formedwith an enlarged head 89. Nipples 88 are held in bores 85 by pressedfits. Threaded into the end of each bore 85 is a machine screw 91serving to lock the two rings 81 and 82 tightly about the skirt79 and toplug the end of bore 85.

Connected to the head 89 of each of the nipples 88 is a scoop tube 92having its outer end contoured so as to lie on a circle concentric tothe axis of the switch.

4 Here it should be noted that, as indicated in Fig. 2, the rotor 74 isassumed to rotate in a clockwise direction.

Extending through the lower face of the left hand boss 83 and throughthe lower side of the nipple 88 is a stepped circular hole 93, andseated therein is a disc 94 provided with a small jet orifice 95 invertical alignment with the contact pins 35. The right hand boss 83 issimilarly provided with a circular disc 96 having a central orifice 97,but here the orifice is directed inwardly in radial alignment with aport or opening 98 in the skirt 79 so that any mercury passing throughthe orifice 97 will impinge on the stationary skirt 14. From Fig. 1 itwill be noted that the, skirt 14 is in electrical communication with thenegative lead 23.

Fixed to the shaft 27 is a second rotor generally designated by thereference numeral 101, including a central spider 102 serving amongother things to support the bearing race 58.

Secured to the spider 102 by screws 103 is an inverted rotor casing 104contoured to circumscribe the skirt 79, formed with an inverted mercurysump 105 and provided with a depending peripheral skirt 106. Mountedwithin the skirt 106 and sealed thereto by an O ring a 107 is an annularring 108 provided with an inner flange 109 circumscribing the stationaryplastic plug 33 with positive clearance. As shown in Fig. 1, the ring108 is contoured so as to provide a mercury sump 111 generally opposingthe sump 105 and in vertical alignment with the ring of contact pins 35.

Overlying the lower face of the annular ring 108 is a retaining snapring 112 accommodated in a channel 113 formed in the inner face of theskirt 106. As a result of this construction, it will be seen that thecasing 104 and its associated ring 108 form an annular channel orchamber 114 which in cross-section converges outwardly. Therefore,during the rotation of the rotor 101 and as a result of the centrifugalforce developed, any mercury contained in the channel 114 will moveoutwardly and be held in engagement with the inner surface of the skirt106. Here it should be noted that the outer ends of the scoop tubes 92are positioned immediately adjacent the skirt 106 and therefore in thelocus of any annular body of mercury traveling with the skirt 106. Ifthen the mercury is traveling at a speed sufliciently greater than thescoop tube, mercury will travel inwardly through the scoop tubes andwill be ejected through the orifice 95 into engagement with the contactpins 35. After the mercury jet successively contacts the pins 35, themercury drops into the lower part of the channel or chamber 114 andclimbs the walls thereof to join the annular body of mercury located onthe constricted portion of the channel. Each time that the mercury jethits one of the contact pins 35, the electrical circuit is completedthrough one of the positive terminals 19.

The drive for the rotor 101 includes a shaft 121 journaled in the spider102 through a pair of ball bearing units 122 and 123 held in spacedrelationship by a spacing sleeve 124. Provided on the lower end of theshaft 121 is a pinion 125 arranged to mesh with the internal gear 77aflixed to the first rotor 74. Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 121by a pin 126 is a pinion 127 in mesh with the stationary internal ringgear 63. As a result of this construction, the rotation of the spider102 with the shaft 27 causes the shaft 121 to rotate bodily about theaxis of the shaft 27. Since the ring gear 63 is fixed against rotation,the bodily rotation of the pinion 127 about the axis of the shaft 27will cause the shaft 121 to rotate about its own axis. The resultingrotation of the pinion 125 will then cause the ring gear 77 to rotateand with it the first rotor 74. This structure therefore constitutes aplanetary gear system whereby the rotation of the shaft 27 will causethe two rotors 74 and 101 to rotate at a differential speed, but both inthe same direction, clockwise as herein illustrated.

Formed on the lower end of the shaft 27 is a wrench face 131, andsecured thereto by a set screw 132 is a coupling generally designated bythe reference numeral 133. The coupling 133 includes an upper collar 134mounting the set screw and a bushing 135 for receiving the lower end ofthe shaft 27. Bonded to the lower end of the collar 134 is a dielectricdisc 136, and bonded to the lower face of the disc 136 is a lower collar137 formed with a central bore 138 for the reception of a motor shaft139. Threaded in the collar 137 is a set screw 141 arranged to engage awrench face 142 formed in the end of the motor shaft 139.

Now assuming that the sump 111 of the second or outer rotor 101 has beensupplied with a suitable quantity of mercury. When the switch is placedin operation the mercury is thrown to the outer periphery of the annularchannel or chamber 114 and held there as an an nular ring 145 againstany acceleration field of lower magnitude than the centripetalacceleration generated by the rotation of the annular chamber 114. Toperform the switching function of the switch, the first rotor 74 mustrotate at a speed less than the speed of the rotor 101. Here it shouldbe recalled that the mouth of each scoop or pitot tube 92 is elevatedwithin the annular ring 145 of mercury. A stagnation pressure isdeveloped at the mouth of each tube proportional to the square of thedifference in the speeds of the second and first rotors 101 and 74. Ifthe speed ratio of these rotors is 2 to 1 or greater, suflicientstagnation pressure will exist at the entrance of the tube to overcomethe pressure due to the centrifugal force on the column of mercury inthe tube, all the Way to the center of rotation. Thus pressure existsbehind the orifice 95 to force a jet of mercury through the orifice tosequentially contact the pin 35 of the stator. The scoop tube 92 on theright hand side of the switch, as illustrated in Fig. 2, as previouslyexplained, picks up mercury in the same way as its di ametricallyopposed counterpart, but the mercury jet passing through its associatedorifice 97 continuously impinges on the annular skirt 14 so as tocomplete the electrical circuit.

The nipple 88 is made of metal as shown on the draw ing (Fig. 2),although this is immaterial.

The ring sections 81 and 82 are only in casual electrical communicationwith the negative lead 23 through ball bearings and gear meshes. Thiscannot be considered an uninterrupted low-resistance path. A closedcircuit through one pin will be tracedstart with eyelet 21, up terminal19, through connecting sleeve 18, contact prong 34, metal pin 35. Thencontact is made by a mercury jet being forced through orifice 95. Thecircuit continues through the mercury down scoop tube 92 (left side ofFig. 2) annular ring of mercury 145, up the mercury in scoop tube 92(right side of Fig. 2), to the orifice 97. The mercury jet passingthrough orifice 97 impinges on annular skirt 14 which is in electricalcommunication with the negative lead 23. This completes the circuit fromeyelet 21 to negative lead 23 when the mercury jet from orifice 95 isimpinging on any particular pin 35. All other pins 35 are open-circuitedwith respect to the negative lead 23.

By resorting to this construction, not only is the circuit completed,but also the rotor 74 is in substantially dynamic balance.

Further, the entire structure has been so designed that it can bereadily assembled and disassembled.

Although there is nothing critical concerning the dimensions of theswitch, it has been found that the switch may be effectively made withfrom 60 to 90 equally spaced contact pins 35; that the shaft 27 and itsrotor 101 may be driven at a speed in the order of 3600 r.p.m.; and thatthe gear ratios of the planetary gears may be such as to drive the rotor74 at a speed in the order of 1200 r.p.m. This of course produces aspeed ratio of 3 to 1 between the outer rotor 101 and the inner rotor74, this ratio being ample to produce the stagnation pressure requiredto force mercury inwardly through the scoop tubes 92. I

The use of mercury has been called for merely as illustrative of a goodfluid conductor. Other fiuid conductors can of course be used.

I claim:

1. A rotary jet switch comprising: a stator provided with a circle ofinsulated contact pins; a first rotor circumscribing said statoradjacent said circle of contact pins and having an orifice directedtowards said circle of contact pins; a second rotor provided with anannular chamber circumscribing and encompassing said circle of contactpins and said first rotor; means for rotating said first and secondrotors at ditferent speeds and in the same direction; and a conduitfixed at one end to said first rotor in communication with said orifice,the other end of said conduit being located adjacent the periphery ofsaid chamber and facing in a direction opposite to the direction ofrotation of said rotors.

2. A rotary jet switch comprising: a stator provided with a circle ofinsulated contact pins; a first rotor concentric with said circle ofcontact pins and provided with an orifice directed towards said circleof contact pins; a second rotor coaxial with said circle of contact pinsand provided with an annular chamber encompassing said contact pins;means for rotating said first and second rotors in the same direction;and a conduit fixed at one of its ends to said second rotor incommunication with said orifice and having its other end locatedadjacent the periphery of said annular chamber and facing in a directionopposite to the direction of rotation of said rotors.

3. A rotary jet switch comprising: a stator; a drive shaft journaled insaid stator; a circle of insulated contact pins mounted on said statorcoaxially with said drive shaft; a first rotor journaled on said shaftand provided with an orifice directed towards said circle of contactpins; a second rotor fixed to said drive shaft coaxially therewith andprovided with an annular chamber encompassing said contact pins and saidorifice; means for driving said first and second rotors at differentspeeds but in the same direction; and a conduit fixed at one end to saidfirst rotor in communication with said orifice, the other end of saidconduit being located adjacent the periphery of said chamber and facingin a direction opposite the direction of rotation of said chamber.

4. A rotary jet switch comprising: a stator; a drive shaft journaled insaid stator; a circle of insulated contact pins mounted on said statorcoaxially with said shaft; a first rotor journaled on said shaft andprovided with first and second diametrically opposed orifices, one ofsaid orifices being directed to said circle of contact pins and theother of said orifices being directed towards said stator; a secondrotor fixed to said drive shaft coaxially therewith and provided with anannular chamber encompassing said contact pins and said orifice; meansfor driving said rotors at different speeds but in the same direction;and first and second diametrically opposed conduits each fixed at oneend to said first rotor in communication with one of said orifices, theother end of each conduit being located adjacent the periphery of saidchamber and facing in a direction opposite to the direction of rotationof said rotors.

5. A rotary jet switch comprising: a stator including upper and lowerstacked insulating rings; a circle of equally spaced contact pinsmounted in said upper ring; a circle of equally spaced electricterminals mounted in said lower ring, there being one such terminal foreach of said contact pins; quickly detachable means for electricallycoupling said terminals to said contact pins in response to the movementof said lower ring towards said upper ring; a first rotor circumscribingsaid stator adjacent said circle of contact pins and having an orificedirected towards said circle of contact pins; a second rotor providedwith an annular chamber circumscribing and encompassing said circle ofcontact pins and said 7 first rotor; means for rotating said first andsecond rotors at diiferent speeds and in the same direction; and aconduit fixed at one end to said first rotor in communication with saidorifice, the other end of said conduit being located adjacent theperiphery of said chamber and facing in a direction opposite to thedirection of rotation of said rotors,

6. A rotary jet switch comprising: a stator provided with a circle ofinsulated, equally spaced contact pins; a shaft journaled in said statorcoaxially with said circle of contact pins; a first rotor journaled onsaid shaft and provided with an orifice aligned with said circle ofcontact pins; a second rotorfixed to said shaft for rotation therewithand provided with an annular chamber circumscribing and encompassingsaid circle of pins and said first rotor; a first internal ring gearprovided in said stator coaxial with said shaft; a second internal ringgear provided in said first rotor coaxial with said shaft; a stub shaftjournaled in said second rotor eccentric to said shaft; a first pinionfixed to said stub shaft in mesh with said first ring gear; a secondpinion fixed to said stub shaft in mesh with said second ring gear; anda conduit fixed at one end to said first rotor in communication withsaid orifice, the other end of said conduit being located adjacent theperiphery of said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,444,687 Widakowich July 6, 1948 2,782,273 Davis et a1. Feb. 19, 19572,791,650 Gootherts May 7, 1957

